MAM
iProspect appoints digital expert Srikar Nagubandi as SVP – Ops
MUMBAI: iProspect India, the global, leading, multi-award winning digital agency from Dentsu Aegis Network, has hired Srikar Nagubandi as Senior Vice President – Operations. He comes with more than 15 years of experience in the digital space with a focus on Search Engine Optimization, Search Engine Marketing, Social Media and Web Analytics. Nagubandi’s core responsibilities at iProspect India will comprise leading the SEO and Analytics verticals and overseeing the Paid Media mandates.
Nagubandi will report into Rubeena Singh, CEO, iProspect India and will be based out of Mumbai.
Prior to iProspect India, he was Director, Media Engagement & Technology at W20 Group, New York. Some of his stints before this include those at Razorfish & Razorfish Health which is a part of the Publicis Group, AppliancesOnline.com. He has worked in international markets like New York and Australia throughout his career.
Given his digital marketing and analytics background, Nagubandi is adept at both the planning and technical implementation side of the business having been a developer earlier in his career. He is also an industry thought leader who has spoken at numerous conferences and written articles focused on search innovation and best practices related to eCommerce, social media and blogging, particularly in healthcare.
iProspect India CEO Rubeena Singh said, “We are elated to welcome Srikar on board the iProspect team. He brings immense value to the company’s capabilities with his extensive experience in global markets. We want to increasingly bring on board senior talent who can carry forward the learnings of developed and evolved markets to our clients, providing them with innovative and effective business solutions and helping them stay ahead of the curve. I’m positive Srikar will drive higher RoI and propose effective digital solutions to our existing and potential set of clients.”
Srikar Nagubandi, Senior Vice President – Operations, iProspect India said, “In my experience in working with some of the best brands in the world, I have come to believe that it’s crucial to make the complex simple and the simple understandable and actionable for the client. Digital is only growing in complexity and the agency of the future needs to harness deep learning to innovate relentlessly and delight our clients. I am thrilled to be starting a new chapter with my role at iProspect India, and be a part of this ongoing evaluation in not only the fastest growing economy in the world, but an economy where digital advertising spend is experiencing double digit growth.”
Brands
Hocco crosses Rs 530cr revenue in two years
Sauce.vc-led Rs 100cr raise values ice cream brand at Rs 2,500cr pre-money as quick commerce hits 20 per cent of sales.
MUMBAI: Hocco has just scooped a seriously sweet milestone crossing the Rs 530 crore revenue mark in just two full years of operations. The fast-growing Indian ice cream and indulgence brand announced it has raised Rs 100 crore in fresh capital led by Sauce.vc. The round values the company at Rs 2,500 crore pre-money and underscores investor confidence in its rapid scale and distinctive India-first approach.
Founder Ankit Chona said the brand’s success stems from solving real Indian challenges extreme summer heat, fragmented cold chains and culturally rooted tastes. “In India, product development doesn’t end in the lab. It only ends when it survives the street,” he noted. This philosophy has produced viral hits such as Aamchi mango ice cream, BIX cake-sponge sandwiches, the Oh cone and culturally relevant collaborations like Haldiram’s Barfi and festive Modak specials.
Hocco currently operates manufacturing facilities in Ahmedabad and Panipat with a production capacity of approximately 3 lakh litres per day, running near full capacity in peak season. The fresh capital will help expand this to around 4.5 lakh litres per day.
Quick commerce has emerged as a major growth engine, now contributing ~20 per cent of overall business and growing nearly 2x year-on-year. The channel has boosted product discovery, increased consumption frequency and helped extend ice cream beyond its traditional seasonal limits.
Sauce.vc founder Manu Chandra said, “At Sauce, we believe that when you chance upon an outlier business, you double down with stronger conviction. We see Hocco as just that.”
With a strong innovation pipeline, deeper distribution and continued focus on cultural relevance, Hocco is entering its third year aiming to capture even more mind space and market share. In a category long dominated by legacy players, this young brand is proving that the coolest way to win is to build for India’s realities, one scoop, one street and one satisfied craving at a time.
